Shaquille O'Neal Called Mark Madsen 'The Purest NBA Guy' — Then Got Him A $1,000 Custom Suit And Discounted Truck To Fit In On Rookie Pay

"The purest NBA guy" is how Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal described former Lakers teammate Mark Madsen on Fox Sports' "Fair Game" in 2019. 

He then quietly bought Madsen a custom $1,000 suit and arranged a discount on a pickup truck so the Stanford graduate could fit in among million-dollar wardrobes and luxury rides in the Lakers locker room.

The impromptu spree kicked off one of basketball's endearing mentor-rookie stories and still resonates in Berkeley two decades later.

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From Rookie Pay To NBA Polish

According to Hoopshype, Madsen went 29th overall in the 2000 draft and signed a three-year contract worth more than $2.2 million, according to the Los Angeles Times at the time. That sum barely covered rent in Los Angeles, let alone the four-figure suits most veterans wore. So O'Neal asked the team tailor to cap an outfit at $1,000 and slipped the bill under Madsen's locker.

"He's the purest guy I've ever met in the NBA. I had to protect that," O'Neal said, adding that party invitations for the rookie were off-limits. Instead, he sealed the makeover by steering Madsen to a trusted car dealership, where a modest pickup came at a discount "because rookies need reliable, not flashy."

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Mentor Magic and Championship Runs

The gesture cemented a bond as O'Neal and Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to league titles in 2001 and 2002. In 2001 alone, Los Angeles posted a 15–1 postseason, one of the most dominant runs in NBA history, according to Basketball-Reference.

Madsen averaged just 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, but his sideline dance during the 2002 parade still loops on arena jumbotrons.

From Hardwood to Head Coach

After retiring, Madsen joined Utah Valley and then the Lakers as an assistant. In April 2023, he became head coach at the University of California. In his first season, Cal improved by 10 wins to finish with 13, despite grueling cross-country trips, ESPN reported. 

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, momentum peaked in January when Cal beat Virginia 75-61 for its first ACC win. "This is the opening of a new chapter," Madsen said afterward. He added Cal "is going to be a powerhouse in the ACC."

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Extending the Legacy

O'Neal, meanwhile, has extended that mentorship beyond teammates. In February, Clark County, Nevada, commissioners approved plans for a $24 million Shaquille O'Neal Youth Development Complex in Las Vegas. 

Groundbreaking is set for late March or early April. The facility will include a regulation gym, STEAM classrooms and free meals, aiming to guide 1,000 local youths toward college and careers each year.

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